How would you distinguish “lifelike materials” with these characteristics from “life”? Purely because they were artificially created? What are the downstream consequences of that standard? Why would you assume them to be non-conscious, once they can seek light and food, and self-organize what they eat into themselves?
Hans Jonas, Call Your Office
Scientists could use some advice from a philosopher this time. Jonas (see first comment) has written great work on what it means for something to ‘be alive’ or not; to be an animal, or not; and how the development of these capacities drives what he thinks of as a rising consciousness. We have also discussed older traditions here.
How would you distinguish “lifelike materials” with these characteristics from “life”? Purely because they were artificially created? What are the downstream consequences of that standard? Why would you assume them to be non-conscious, once they can seek light and food, and self-organize what they eat into themselves?
How would you distinguish “lifelike materials” with these characteristics from “life”? Purely because they were artificially created? What are the downstream consequences of that standard? Why would you assume them to be non-conscious, once they can seek light and food, and self-organize what they eat into themselves?
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2 comments:
Lifelike material that might not alive be actually might include viruses--which self-organize, seek energy (rather than light in particular), food--even reproduce.
We'd also have to explain why artificial creation is a disqualifier of the state of "alive."
Determining whether they are conscious or non- --or whether any entity, lifelike or alive--requires us to have a better understanding of consciousness, including whether it's necessarily specific to individual entities or whether it arises from a collective of entities: neurons vice ganglia vice brains, bees or ants vice the hive or mound, etc.
Eric Hines
Is consciousness a binary thing...an entity is either conscious or it is not...or are there gradations of level of consciousness?
Somewhat related, here's an animal trainer turned artificial intelligence researcher who believes it is more useful to analogize today's AI system with animals--and not the highest animals, at that---rather than with humans:
https://www.ge.com/reports/understanding-animals-can-help-us-make-artificial-intelligence/
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